The last train
by Claire O'Mack
Summary: On the way to their second hunger games, Peeta and Katniss have time to themselves. A time to re-evaluate their lives and each other.


This is my first crack at Hunger games, so any comments welcomed.

THE LAST TRAIN

Silence followed the out pouring of grief, Katniss's body shook, not only with the cold, but from the anger slowly burning inside her. Going to Hamish and pleading for Peeta's life was next, but somehow she knew it was going to be futile, and secretly she wanted it to be him, in there with her once more. There was no one she trusted, no one she depended on more than him. At the reaping the silence continued, not a word was spoken between either of them. A glance there, a unspoken look here, but nothing else.

It wasn't until they were speeding along at two hundred miles an hour that he spoke to her. Really spoke to her. His hand reaching for her own before he sought her eyes with his.

"I'm not going to say everything is going to be all right, because I know its not, but you have to believe there is a way out, we found one last time." Peeta's words echoed around her head for a moment. He was so sweet, trying to reassure here even now. He must have seen her expression change, his face dropped, all pretence forgotten for a brief moment.

"You know that won't work again, you heard what Hamish said, this is not like last time." Katniss replied pulling her hand from his, withdrawing it to wrap around her throat. Caressing the skin there softly, while her eyes followed the scenery flashing passed them. For a moment Peeta's eyes were drawn to her hand, watching as her finger tips ran smooth circles along the flesh there. Shaking himself from his reprieve he edged closer to her on the sofa. Inch by inch until his leg ran parallel to hers. So close he could feel the heat of her skin beneath his trousers. It was intoxicating, bringing back memories of shared nights on this very train. So close, but yet so far apart. It was a distance with which Peeta was determined not to violate, unless Katniss gave him reason to.

"I didn't want you in there with me you know. I asked Hamish to spare you." Katniss said suddenly, turning to him, her green eyes pleading with him not to be angry at her.

"I know." He said simply, leaning forward, placing his hands in his lap, and looking down at them. He almost jumped when he saw her hand cover his own. The soft, slightly raspy feel of her hands gliding over his was both familiar and alien at the same time. They had held hands many times, yet it always seemed to be under forced circumstances. Now her touch was different, less comforting, less ridged. It was a caress of sorts, it made Peeta shiver internally. Outwardly however he simply regarded her with slightly wide eyes.

"I am glad it's you though. I need you with me." Katniss said, the moment to much for her to take right now. Her entire body was like a raw nerve, any emotion was like scraping fingernails, and Peeta was a particularly deep nerve.

She looked at him now, his eyes wide, and head tilted. A small smile playing on the corner of his lips, which he attempted to hide from her, by looking down at their joined hands. She had always known his feelings for her ran far deeper, than the ones she had manufactured for him, and yet, she still wanted him to know that she needed him.

"I will always been there for you." Peeta replied finally, after what seemed like forever, but had in fact been only a moment. That's how time was now, everything seemed to last only a brief second, or the world would stand still. It had been like that since the first games for both of them. It was something they had discussed late at night, as they journeyed around the districts. If they had know then what they had known now, they probably would have spent less time getting over the nightmares from the last games, and having some about the new ones.

"Maybe we should think about heading back with the others, I am sure Effie is having some sort of breakdown by now." Katniss said removing her hand from Peeta's and feeling, for a moment, lost without it.

"Yeah and I bet Hamish has run out of ice." Peeta joked back, feeling the shift in tone, and ignoring the feeling of loss, at the removal of her hand. Standing up together they made their way back through the train. Both somehow knowing this would most likely be their last night ever here.

Katniss lay awake in bed, her mind too wired to sleep, she tried to listen to the sounds of the train. The rumble of an engine, the sound of the wind rushing past, but there was nothing, just a gentle constant hum. A hum that she had not heard until she had listened for it. Not because it was very quite, but because her brain had decided to filter it out, ignore it without her knowledge. Katniss decided that she shouldn't ignore anything any more. Life was short, hers even more so and ignoring things could get you killed even quicker.

The silence was broken then by loud moaning. It was Peeta, Katniss could tell he was having a nightmare. She was out of bed quickly, forgoing any robe and rushing though the door. In the darkness, she stubbed her toe on a raised panel for the door slide. In her cursing she wondered again why she had not invited him to stay with her that night. He had on every other night, they had occupied this train. Hobbling though the corridor she decided that it had been fear that had stopped the request for his presence from falling from her lips. Fear that maybe she was becoming to close, to someone she was supposed to only feel indifference for. As she pushed open the door to Peeta's quarters, and saw him there twisted in his sheets, soaked in sweat, and small yelps coming from his open mouth she knew she loved him. Maybe not in they way Peeta, and even possibly Snow wanted her to, but she did love him. In her own teenage innocent way.

Placing her hand on his shoulder, she called his name softly, not wanting to startle him. Katniss knew how it felt to be in the grip of one of these nightmares. A friendly face when you woke up was the one thing you needed. It took a few attempts to wake him, her lips getting ever closer to his ear as she tried to sooth him from his slumber. Finally he sat upright, searching for her in the darkness. Knowing on instinct she was there. He clung to her like she was the only thing preventing him from falling. Perhaps on some level she was.

As Peeta's breathing levelled out, and the grip on her night dress slackened, Katniss pushed him away slightly so she could get a look at his face. The lines under his eyes spoke volumes, but there was also a hint of a smile there.

"Thank you" He whispered as she stroked his dampened hair and took in a deep satisfying breath. He was ok. For now."

"I should really get a shower, I must smell pretty bad." Peeta said then covering up his growing desire, as Katniss held him tight against her body. The fact that she had no underwear on had not been lost on Peeta. Now his body was threatening to betray him. Still half asleep, and caught somewhere between nightmare and reality, his body was harder to control than usual. He pushed back quickly, thinking a cold shower wouldn't be a bad idea right now anyway.

"Ok sure, did you want me to stay here with you?" Katniss asked, a hint of shyness creeping into her voice. It sounded odd coming from her, and Peeta was almost tempted to ask her if something was wrong.

"Umm sure that would be nice." He said instead, not wanting to examine things to closely right now. He needed to sort himself out first.

"Ok I'll wait" He heard as he closed the door to the bathroom. He did not want to linger there. Stripping off his sweat dampened clothes he turned on the water, and set it to as cold as he could bare. A few minutes later, he stepped out, realising that he had nothing but a small towel, he quickly rubbed the worst of the moisture out of his hair, and then wrapped it around his waist. Pulling the door open he walked out in to the still darkened room. He could see Katniss sitting upright against the head board. Her head was down, her hair falling over her face in long wavy curls. He quickly grabbed some clothes, pulling the clean shirt over his head, he slipped on the pants under the towel and then discarded it onto a nearby chair.

"Better now?" Katniss asked, her voice making him jump slightly in the darkness.

"Much thank you." He said climbing on the bed next to her. Holding up his arm and allowing her to rest her head on his chest. It was how they always slept. It was more familiar to him now than sleeping alone.

"Want to talk about it?" Katniss asked a for a moment Peeta had to think about what she was referring to.

"I don't really remember actually." Peeta replied feeling slightly bad about the lie, but he didn't want to go into details about watching her die again. Not when they had this time together.

"I have those sometimes, the moment you wake the dream just fades away, but you remember the feelings." Katniss said, her voice quite even in the silence of the night.

"Yeah." Peeta could only agree, he felt like there was more to her words, but he decided if she was going to elaborate, she would do it on her own terms.

" The ones that scare me the most though, are the ones about loosing you." She said then, this time her voice was a little more forceful, her hand pressed tight against his chest, and he could feel a warm wetness against his shirt. She had cried in his arms before, but this time it was different, this time she was crying over him. Feeling bold he ran his hand through her hair. Smoothing it back away from her face, until he reached below her chin. Lifting it until he could see her eyes.

"Me too, my worst are about loosing you." He replied then, and with those few words there was a shift. Subtle but undeniable. A virtual cracking in the air between them, hearts beating faster in both their chests, as they continued to look at one another. The only light flashing though the window, providing fleeting but telling glances of one another.

"I know that you have never felt for me, what I have felt for you, but I also know that you do feel something for me. Whether its because of what we have shared, or the time we have spent together I don't know, but this will be the last train we will ever be on together. Maybe we should enjoy the moment." Peeta said finally feeling brave all of a sudden, realising for the first time, that he really had nothing to loose. Katniss sat up then pulling away from him. Peeta felt sadness, he wanted to reach for her, pull her back to him, make her see how much he loved her. His hands remained motionless. If she was going to come to him, she would have to do it of her own volition. He would have it no other way.

The next thing he knew was the soft velvet caress of her lips upon his own. It took him a moment to respond. The initial shock wearing off as her hands cupped either side of his face. The kiss was light at first, they had shared much deeper kisses in the past, but this one was different, no one was watching, this wasn't for the world, it was for them. Katniss opened her eyes to look at Peeta, his face was so close it was distorted, but she could see the pleasure there. Feel it in the way his hand caressed her back. This was the one thing she could give him. If she couldn't save his life, she could at least grant him this wish. It wasn't as hard as she thought it would be. In fact as she shifted she she was straddling his lap, she felt tiny shivers running up her spine, as he placed his hands around her waist. She pressed him back into to pillows, opening her mouth and deepening the kiss. The slight clash of teeth reminded them both of their inexperience at such things, and for a moment the fear returned. Katniss pushed it down a pressed her hands against Peeta's chest, running her palms along the firm muscles beneath. She sighed slightly as a feeling of warmth mixed with something far more electric wrapped around her. The heady kisses had gone to her most intimate depths, and now Peeta's hands were growing more bold. They were caressing her side, sliding up to briefly touch the outside of her breasts then away again. Katniss found herself wanting that touch, needing it. Pushing her chest out and kissing him harder as he came closer to their goal, Katniss showed him what she wanted.

Peeta needed no second hint, he knew her so well, he could read her in the total darkness. His hands palmed her breasts, marvelling at the feel and weight of them. He moved to swipe his thumb across her nipple, and was delighted by the sudden gasp that slipped out of her wet lips. He performed the action again, this time caressing her until her breathing sped up and their kisses were forgotten. Peeta decided in that moment he would learn her. Learn her in a completely different way to how he knew her before. With every touch, with every caress, he watched her, looked for what she liked. Sometimes she would almost look surprised, as he touched her skin, hands roaming under her night dress. Other times her eyes would close, and her mouth would drop open. Peeta wanted more, he wanted to see her.

Stripping of his shirt Katniss watched as Peeta's body was revealed to her. She had seen him shirtless before, but not like this, she was again afraid, knowing where this was going, and wanting it to go there, but uncertain if she was ready. Reaching out and touching his skin, she found a light sown of hair there. Peeta was a man. The thought downed on her like a splash of cold water in the face. They both were no longer children, physically of course, but mentally too, the games had seen to that. Whatever innocence of youth had once remained had long since gone. Now sat straddling him, his arousal evident against her leg, Katniss no longer felt afraid, for the first time in a long time she felt alive. Pulling her own night dress off over her head, she looked down at Peeta who was just staring at her. She let him, she had nothing to hide from him an more, for life was short, and this was their last train.

It all moved so quickly after that. Fumbling hands felt for each other in the darkness. Caresses to start far to innocent for the places they were touching. Katniss gasped loudly as Peeta's fingers finally found her sweet spot at the top of her sex. It was all he needed to continue with the caress. Smooth, slow at first, encouraged into a faster harder touch as she ground herself down onto his willing hand.

Peeta was fascinated by her reactions. Forgetting his own need in favour of satisfying hers, but it has always been that way. And he knew it would be until one or both of the were dead. As Katniss shattered around him. Her muscles clenching until it hurt Peeta remained still, looking at her, until she raised her eyes to his. She nodded at him, nothing was said, just like before, no words were needed. She shifted a bit making it easier for him to guide himself inside her.

It hurt at first, a slight burning sensation and a small sharp stab of pain. Peeta stilled at the angst on her face, allowing her to control their first joining. After a few moments, she began to move, slowly at first, then increasing in speed, Peeta got the message. Clutching hold of her hips, he switched them. On top of her now her was driving down into her. Inside pushing out, and outside pushing in. it was all too much, and he let go quickly. Arching into her, her name falling repeatedly from his lips.

He rolled away from her then, ashamed he had only lasted a few minutes, but her caressing hand on his back brought his face back to her own.

"We should get some sleep. We have a long day tomorrow." She said encouraging him down so she could lay her head on his chest. Peeta couldn't argue with that. Wrapping his hand around her, he stroked her bare shoulder, the same way he had done so many times in the past.

Later that night Katniss awoke to the sound of gentle snoring, and in that moment just before waking, she thought not of what was to come, but of the man with whom she would share it.


End file.
